


8 Promises Phil Coulson Kept and One He Broke

by Go_Fic_Yourself



Category: Avengers, Marvel (Comics), Marvel 616, The Avengers (Marvel Movies)
Genre: 5 things plus some, M/M, a mix of happy and sad
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-02-22
Updated: 2020-02-22
Packaged: 2021-02-28 07:00:22
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 832
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22839688
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Go_Fic_Yourself/pseuds/Go_Fic_Yourself
Summary: Phil Coulson doesn’t make promises he doesn’t intend to keep. But sometimes the world (and trickster gods) have other plans.
Relationships: Clint Barton/Phil Coulson
Comments: 6
Kudos: 58





	8 Promises Phil Coulson Kept and One He Broke

1\.   
“SHIELD has been tracking you for some time, Mr. Barton. We need people with abilities like yours.” 

“An assassin.” Clint had snarled in reply.

“Hardly. Snipers are a dime a dozen. I think we both know that you’re much more than a good shot.”

Clint didn’t know what to say to that, to something he didn’t believe but desperately wanted to.

“What SHIELD can promise you is this: food, shelter, medical care, steady pay and a chance to stop running. I would be your handler and on top of that I can promise you dignity, respect and a chance to help people.”

SHIELD had delivered, and so had Coulson.

2\.   
Things had gone beyond pear shaped. What was supposed to be an information exchange had quickly turned into a tiny war zone. Clint had been hit in the first round of shots, a deep wound in the meat of his thigh.

He wasn’t in much danger of bleeding out (in part due to the position of the wound, but mostly due to the makeshift tourniquet that used to be Coulson’s tie), but he wouldn’t be running any marathons anytime soon. “I’m going to get help. I’ll be right back for you, I promise.” Clint’s gut reaction was that he was on his own now, but his gut was suddenly warring with his head that had four years of kept promises from Coulson to fall back on. With the help of an organ located about half way between those two, he managed to sit through the nauseating ten minutes that followed until Coulson’s return. “Takori and Jones are to the north, Sullivan and Quartermain are to the east. 

They’re going to provide a distraction while we run like hell and Takori and Jones cover us. 

Clint would be lying if he claimed he made it across that courtyard under his own power. Coulson bore the weight he couldn’t and they made it to Takori and Jones without incident. 

Later, when they were back at HQ and Clint was high on the good drugs, he would look at Coulson with something close to wonder. "You came back for me.” 

Coulson just gave him a tiny smile. “Go to sleep, Barton.”

3\.   
This was the first time that this had happened in years, and the only time it had happened in front of another person. Coulson had been yelling at him, years later Clint wouldn’t remember why (Clint had most likely done something stupid dangerous and disobeyed orders) but the yelling he remembered. It was the first and only time Coulson raised his voice to him in anger. 

Between the yelling and the flailing hands, Clint’s reaction was so driven by instinct as to be unavoidable. He shied away from Coulson, bringing his hands up to protect his face.

Coulson’s anger was gone at that. 

“Damn, Clint. I’m sorry. I should have-. I don’t- I would never-. I was angry and worried. I promise I would never hurt you if there was any way to prevent it.” That was the best he could do with the lives they lead.

Clint had to breathe pointedly slow for a few minutes, but he believed him.

4\.   
“I love you.” He said it like an oath. Said it with such surety and conviction. More than Clint had ever had for anything.

But he did know this, as much as he was able and if his voice came out a little wrecked, Phil wasn’t telling. “I love you too.”

5\.   
“I swear, the second we get home I am having you against the nearest flat surface until you are begging me to let you come.”

6\.   
“I am not going to let you push me away out of your own self-sabotaging pig headedness.”

7\.   
Clint had just finished speaking and took a shuddering breath to try to compose himself as he waited for Phil’s reply. “I, Phillip James Coulson, promise to love, honor and cherish you, Clint Barton. To cook by your side in safe houses and to have your back in a firefight. To hold you through your nightmares. To share your fears, your allies and your enemies. To tell you my secrets and to keep yours. I promise to share my life with you.” 

The words were whispered so low and urgently that only Clint and Fury (the officiant) could hear them. Fury managed to restrain himself from rolling his eye an Clint tried to subtly blink tears out of both of his. He was glad that they had decide to have him go first, as expected, after that his voice was barely up to answering Fury’s question. 

“I do.”

8\.   
“I promise that everything will be ok.”

The one he broke.

1\. The words were whispered between kisses as Phil lay, bandaged and bruised on a hospital bed in the medical bay after a week under the not so tender care of hydra. “I promise you Clint, when our time comes, we’ll go out together.”

**Works inspired by this one:**

  * [[PODFIC] 8 Promises Phil Coulson Kept and One He Broke](https://archiveofourown.org/works/23411146) by [Loolph](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Loolph/pseuds/Loolph)




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